Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah has stated that Ghana must move beyond issuing identity cards and focus on building a trusted digital identity ecosystem that supports socioeconomic development.

According to him, the real value of the Ghana Card lies not in the physical card but in the trusted identity behind it, which can help the State deliver services, prevent fraud, and improve accountability.

Professor Attafuah made the remarks on October 7, 2026, when he delivered the keynote address at the maiden Information Systems Academics and Practitioners’ (ISAP) Forum hosted by the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).

The forum, organised by the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies, brought together policymakers, academics, industry practitioners and other stakeholders to examine the role of public-sector identification systems in Ghana’s socioeconomic development.

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Professor Attafuah, a former Acting Executive Secretary and later Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), said Ghana had made significant progress in building its national identification infrastructure but must now focus on how the system could deliver tangible development outcomes.

He noted that as of August 17, 2026, the NIA had enrolled 20,146,876 Ghanaians, printed 20,045,761 cards and issued 19,161,930 cards.

“The card is only the visible credential. The real national asset is the trusted identity behind it,” he said, stressing that identification should enable institutions to establish with confidence that a person is who they claim to be.

He said Ghana’s next phase should prioritise secure biometric verification, interoperability, data protection and cybersecurity, while allowing institutions such as SSNIT, NHIA and electoral authorities to retain their statutory mandates and databases.

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The forum also highlighted the need for a secure, inclusive and interoperable identification ecosystem to support effective service delivery and Ghana’s digital transformation agenda.

Professor Attafuah further urged authorities to make real-time biometric authentication the norm instead of relying on physical inspection, photocopying and scanning of Ghana Cards.

He said the national identification system should ultimately be measured by its ability to reduce fraud and duplication, improve public services, widen inclusion and lower administrative costs.

“The Ghana Card must therefore never become an end in itself. Its value lies in what trusted identity enables,” he said.



JHM/AM